Subtly
by ReeMD
Summary: Lisa Cuddy made a decision, and now have to deal with the consequences...
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody.

My friend wrote this some time ago and I thought this was an amazing fic, so I asked her if I could translate and post here. (:

I hope you enjoy it. R&R

"I love you" The words came out as a subtle sacrifice, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by him "But..."

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. '_But_' is a word that can lead to a million things… and not always good.

"But" He repeated

Her eyes tried to find his. It was amazing how his eyes were blue. Sadly blue. Sad but hopeful at the same time. And '_Hope_' is a word that can mean a lot of things.

Cuddy was so lost in his eyes that the touch of his hand caught her by surprise. She closed her eyes instantly. The contact was warm, giving her a unique sensation.

Always unique.

"But..." she sighed "We can't be together."

Fourteen long seconds. This was the time he took to say something again. House looked everywhere but her. He took a deep breath.

"And this is your final word? That's all you have to say?"

Actually, she wanted to hug him, kiss him. She wanted to stay with him forever.

"Yes..." Her voice was weak.

"He'll never make you ..."

Her hand rested on his lips. They already had this conversation before. She didn't want to hear that again.

"Can I continue?" He asked sincerely "I… I… I sincerely hope he can make you happy."

"What?" Cuddy looked at him confused.

"I sincerely hope he can make you happy. Lisa..." It was odd to hear him say her first name "I tried to hate you. Tried to forget you."

He let a small laugh escape his lips, almost as if he didn't believe what he was saying.

"The only thing I want now is..." He continued "Is to see you happy. Maybe... Everybody is right. Maybe you're right."

"About what?" She couldn't believe what he was saying.

"About us... We can't be together."

His eyes were just sad now. He had given up.

Cuddy took two steps forward. Her hands gripped his fists. House looked at her surprised. That look was killing her. She hugged him.

He felt her arms around him. Long minutes passed while they were standing there. As if she was protecting him from everything.

But he turned away abruptly. Now there was something in his eyes... Something that Cuddy was afraid to reveal.

"Invent the excuses you want to spend the rest of your life with that idiot!"

"What are you talking about, House?"

"Do you think this is fair? Come here and say you love me but in the end you will be with him?"

"House..."

She tried to get closer, but he stopped her. There was something strange in his eyes.

"Say that he is better than me! Tell me I'll never be able to be the man you need!"

"I never said that!"

"Then say it! Say it, please... Tell me I'll never be good enough for you!"

"I won't say that, House!" She held his head with her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Why not?"

"Because is not true. Greg, I lo-"

His hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Get out of here." House asked "Lie to me. But don't say you love me if you want be with him."

"But, Greg, I..."

"Don't say it!" He was furious "I'm tired of all this crap!"

Cuddy looked at him, trying to understand him.

After a while he stood up and took his key. He couldn't stand another minute with her knowing that at the end of the day she would be with Lucas.

"You make your decision" He opened the door "Don't blame him if he never be able to offer you what I gave you that night."

"Shut up, House!"

She'd say more, but the door was already closed. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it. She cried because she knew House was right.

**_Flashback On_**

_There are things you'll never forget. And that smile was one of them. He came closer and took a lock of hair off her face, Cuddy laughed in response, he came even closer, pulling her into a deep kiss._

_"You always wanted this, didn't you?" He whispered in her ear_

_"Everyone knew this was going somewhere."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Flashback On**

_There are things you'll never forget. And that smile was one of them. He came closer and he took a lock of hair off her face, Cuddy laughed in response, he came even closer, pulling her into a deep kiss. _

_"You always wanted this, didn't you?" He whispered in her ear_

_"Everyone knew this was going somewhere."_

_"It's not the first time I hear this." He smiled and released her to go to the kitchen. _

_She laughed and threw herself on the couch. He'd never get tired of hearing the sound of her laughter. House returned with two glasses of wine._

_"You are with that look." House said handing a glass of wine to her. _

_"What look?"_

_"The look that says 'My body is here, but my mind is somewhere else'..."_

_She didn't answer immediately. It was funny how he understood her. House knew her better than anyone. _

_"I was thinking about Lucas..." She answered honestly, knowing that he wouldn't like the answer but he also wouldn't give up until he knows the truth. _

_He sat by her side, without showing any emotion. Then he looked at her. _

_"Well..." He was being cautious. And House wasn't cautious. "It's already been a week since you two broke up..."_

_"Do you think this is too much time?" _

_"A week? No." He said sincerely "But twenty years… Yes."_

_Cuddy looked at him surprised. Looking away he took a sip of wine and left the wineglass on the table beside the couch. Twenty years... _

_"Twenty years, House?"_

_**I loved you for twenty years... That's what 'twenty years' means...**_

_This was the right answer. But he didn't say it. He could have said it, actually, He should have said it. But he didn't. _

_"Well... The Berlin wall came down twenty years ago, for example"_

_Cuddy laughed, it was evident that he was lying. _

_"A lot of things happened twenty years ago..." He was thoughtful. "It's nothing."_

_"I like you too, House." She smiled and kissed his cheek._

_House looked at her seriously as if he was waiting for something. She laced her fingers through his. She always loved his hands. _

_"I thought that... After all, we could try." He said with his eyes never leaving hers._

_"We already tried..."_

_"That was twenty years ago..."_

_She opened her mouth but didn't say anything. She loved him but... Only one week had passed since she and Lucas decided to break up. _

_"Lisa, I..."_

_Hearing him say her first name... Maybe she wasn't been fair with him. But, seriously... Who was she trying to fool? She lived her entire life looking for someone who was always by her side. It was weird, maybe funny, but at the end it was simple: She loved him. _

_"I'm sorry, Greg." Her hand was on his cheek. "I'm just afraid to be wrong. I'm just afraid of getting hurt." _

_House waited for her to continue and when she didn't he came closer slowly. He gently pulled her face to his, so close that their lips meet. _

_"I'll never be the man you dreamed." He whispered breathlessly when the kiss ended. "And I'm not saying that will be easy, but... I need you."_

_"House..." She took his hand from her face. "It's only been one week since..."_

_He put a finger on her lips to shut her up. _

_"Lisa... If this is the only night we have, please... Stay." _


	3. Chapter 3

_"Lisa... If this is the only night we have, please... __Stay." _

_For a few seconds she stopped breathing. He was so close that even if she wanted to, she couldn't leave. House hugged her. Cuddy rested her head on his chest. _

_The height difference was never so evident. _

_House laced his fingers in her hair. Cuddy let a Laugh escape her lips. _

_"I don't know how you can..." She spoke after a while when she pulled away from the embrace to look at him. _

_"What?" House smiled as if he already knew the answer. _

_"I don't know how you can make me feel this way." She whispered while her hands caressed his chest._

_"Does that mean you are staying here?" His voice sounded more malicious than he had intended. _

_She answered that with a smile. Her hands went up to his hair. She moved her lips to his mouth and kissed him._

_The kiss wasn't erotic but, definitely, intense and passionate. Without broke the kiss he put his hand in her hair pulling her closer in order to deepen the kiss._

_She hugged him as if she was scared that he would leave. She hugged him tight, not so tight to hurt him but tight enough to show how much she needs him._

_With the eyes closed they went to the couch. As they walked to the couch his leg started to hurt. He thought he'd fall. He broke the kiss and Cuddy looked at him guilty. _

_"Are you ok?"_

_"I'm fine..." He said as he broke the embrace. "I don't need any..."_

_"Help?" She said. When they sat on the couch, Cuddy laughed a little. "Maybe this is a warning. Are you sure you can...?"_

_"Hey! I'm old, but I'm not THAT old." He said blushing a little._

_"I don't know... After twenty years, maybe you're not the same." She laughed._

_"You know it's not the age, it's the damn leg." He looked at his leg with a look of contempt._

_"This only means that we can't do everything your dirty mind imagine." She laughed, trying to make him more comfortable, and kissed him quickly._

_House smiled. He looked at her curiously when she started to massage his leg._

_"You don't need to do this" He said. _

_But Cuddy pretended she didn't listen him. She stopped when she felt his hand on her face, pulling her into a kiss. _

_"You..." She said breathless. "Didn't need to do this either."_

_"I can stop if you want me to." House gave her a playful smile. _

_She shook her head negatively. She put her legs around him, being careful to not hurt his leg. He helped her and kissed her again, this time more intensely. _

_Cuddy started to unbutton his shirt. She ran her nails over his skin, leaving red marks on his chest. As if she had hurted him with her nails Cuddy started to kiss his chest._

_"You're not playing fair." He smiled. _

_"I can stop if you want me to." She smiled and began to button his shirt. _

_"Don't even think about this." He grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms above her head. "Never start something you can't finish, boss."_

_"But I can send someone else to finish for me..." Cuddy smirked. "I just need someone competent to do it for me."_

_House smiled. Holding her hands behind her head, he came closer and started to kiss her neck. _

_He was so focused on her neck that he released her wrists. _

_She pushed him away and stood up. _

_"You're a bad, bad boy, House."_

_"Oh, mom! Don't make me walk!" House said trying to pull her to him again. "I promise that I'll be a good boy."_

_"You promise?" She said, pretending not to believe him._

_"Of course." He grabbed her hand and sat her on his lap again. "I'll do whatever you want me to."_

_Cuddy smiled as she started to kiss his neck. _

_"You're so easy, House." She laughed and she started to unbutton his shirt again. _

_Cuddy took his shirt off. Her hands ran all over his body. Now, was his time to take her shirt off, exposing her bra. _

_"Can I?" He pointed to her breasts. _

_"You ask permission?" She laughed._

_"Hey, I'm a good boy." He said and his hands began to fondle her breasts. Giving her a unique sensation. _

_Cuddy threw her head back in pleasure. Yeah, House wasn't a 'good boy' at all. Cuddy ran her hands over his thighs and inner thighs._

_"What are you doing down there, woman?" _

_"Well, I..." She faked an innocent look and started to open his pants. "I just want to see something."_

_House grabbed her wrists. _

_"What?" She asked confused. _

_"Are you sure you want this?" He was serious. "We drank a little, you fought____with Lucas and now... Well. You know how this gonna end. I just want to make sure..."_

_"Wait a minute." She laughed. "You want to know if I want to sleep with you?"_

_He took her off his lap and stood up._

_"I… I just don't want you to regret this... I don't want to regret this."_

_Cuddy stood up and hugged him from behind. _

_"Do you think I'm going to let you regret this?"_

_He didn't answer because he didn't know what to say. _

_"You said if this was the only night we had together I should stay." She hugged him tight. "Greg... I'm here."_

_"What does that means?" He looked at her. "Does that mean this is our only night together? I..." He was going to say something, but he didn't. _

_Cuddy looked at him. _

_"I just need to know one thing..." He started._

_"What?"_

_"Do you love me?"_


End file.
